Founding and the East Riverside move (1897–1914). The Saint John Golf Club organized in 1897 and, after early play on short courses near the city, moved to East Riverside on the Kennebecasis in 1911. By 1913 the club had been incorporated as Riverside Golf & Country Club, and a nine-hole course was in play the following season. Contemporary club histories describe an intent to extend to 18 as funds allowed; that expansion was realized in the early 1930s. Specific authorship of the pre-Ross nine is not identified in public documents consulted for this entry.
Ross’s commission and scope (early 1930s). The club’s internal Master Plan update (April 2023) states that Donald Ross “substantially redesigned and expanded” the course and that “in 1931 Riverside was redesigned and lengthened by Ross,” who visited the club several times. This aligns with the club’s broader narrative—Riverside used the interwar years to elevate its golf course and profile—and with the course hosting the Canadian Open eight years later. Some secondary sources add that Ross’s associate Walter B. Hatch undertook work in the late 1930s, with Ross paying visits during reconstruction; the precise division of responsibilities between Ross and Hatch is not documented in publicly available primary plans.
Later course stewardship and modern restoration. In 2008 the club sought guidance from the Donald Ross Society and engaged Ron Prichard to produce a restoration master plan, adopted in 2009. The plan—grounded in study of 1930s aerial photography—targeted restoration of widths, green edges, and bunker style; by 2022 the club reported approximately 60% completion, with notable work on holes 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 15, and 17. In 2022, architect Keith Cutten (Whitman, Axland & Cutten) was engaged to lead execution of remaining phases. The club’s 2023 update projected completion of “Donald Ross renovations” by 2027 and documented parallel infrastructure upgrades (e.g., irrigation).
Unique Design Characteristics
Routing cadence and a par-3 finisher. Riverside’s routing climbs and drops above the river, with a distinctive late-round rhythm that culminates in an uncommon par-3 18th—a hole type that concentrates pressure on exacting carry and trajectory as the round ends. Contemporary scorecards list the 18th around 200–205 yards from the back tee, preceded by a 204-yard 10th, an outward nine of 3,150 yards, and an inward sequence that blends reachable par-5s with angular two-shotters. The unusual finishing one-shotter, retained through restoration, gives Riverside a recognizable identity within Ross’s Canadian portfolio.
Hillside and benched green sites. Modern course features and recent journalism draw attention to greens benched into hillsides and targets that fall naturally atop rolling land, especially on mid-length par-4s where elevation changes complicate depth perception. These green settings, rather than water or out-of-character hazards, shape the shot values on several holes and explain why the course challenges well above its yardage.
Bunker form and presentation. The Prichard plan and the club’s historical commentary emphasize re-establishing grass-faced, low-flashed sand profiles rather than high “Florida-style” faces, and widening fairways to restore angles of approach that Ross favored when lengthening the course. As implemented across the holes cited above (2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 15, 17), the work has enlarged putting surfaces, clarified lines of charm from the tee, and re-connected fairway/green complexes that had tightened over decades of tree growth and mowing line contraction.
Holes that best carry the historic fabric. Based on what the club reports completed to date, No. 2 (reworked bunkering and green edge expansion), No. 4 (restored angles into an elevated green), No. 11 (re-established fairway width and flanking hazards), and No. 17 (a river-plateau par-4 with renewed green surround character) are presently the clearest windows into the Ross era. A full hole-by-hole attribution, however, requires comparison of present features against 1930s aerials and any surviving Ross/Hatch drawings.
Historical Significance
Place within Ross’s body of work. Riverside is one of Ross’s few documented Canadian redesigns where he lengthened an existing course and guided its expansion to full championship ambitions. The 1939 Canadian Open—the only time Canada’s national open has been contested in Atlantic Canada—was staged at Riverside and won by Harold “Jug” McSpaden, underscoring the club’s national standing shortly after Ross’s work. Riverside later hosted the Canadian Amateur multiple times (including 1949, 1963, 1975, and 1992), and in 2025 staged the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. That sequence places Riverside among the most historically active championship sites in the Maritimes and confirms the staying power of its Ross-era framework.
Regional influence. The club’s modern restoration program has also influenced best practices across Atlantic Canada—pairing architectural research with agronomic improvements—while keeping the course’s classic cadence intact. Recent national coverage has highlighted the hillside green sites and the 1930s pedigree as part of Riverside’s current identity.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing and core fabric. Available documentation indicates no wholesale rerouting since the Ross era; instead, 20th-century accretions (tree plantings, narrowed fairways, altered bunker faces) accumulated until the 2009-present restoration effort began reversing them. The routing cadence—including the par-3 finish—remains intact.
Greens and surrounds. The club reports larger putting surfaces on restored holes, guided by historical imagery, with short-grass surrounds favored over penal rough immediately off the collar. These choices are consistent with the club’s stated aim to re-establish Ross’s intended shot variety and recover lost cupping areas. Specific square-footage deltas are not published in the public plan summary; those would require access to the underlying construction drawings and the detailed
Bunkers and fairways. Restoration has shifted bunker presentation away from high flashed faces, reinstating grass-lipped, lower-sand profiles and diagonal placements that influence angles rather than simply catching misses. Fairway widths have been re-expanded selectively, with the club noting tree management guided by 1930s aerials and a policy of introducing naturalized rough in place of over-planting.
Uncertainties and contested points (what remains to verify directly).
• Pre-Ross authorship (1913–14 nine): Public club histories confirm a nine was in play by 1914 but do not name an architect; contemporary newspapers or board minutes would be needed to identify the designer(s).
• Ross/Hatch division of labor: The club’s Master Plan attributes the 1931 redesign and lengthening to Ross and notes multiple Ross visits; at least one secondary directory credits Walter B. Hatch with late-1930s remodeling and asserts Ross “paid visits.”
Sources & Notes
Riverside Country Club — “A Brief History of The Riverside Country Club.” Confirms 1913 incorporation as Riverside Golf & Country Club, nine holes in play the following season, and expansion to 18 by the early 1930s. Also documents 1965 name change.
Riverside Country Club — Master Plan Update (April 2023). Club document noting that Donald Ross substantially redesigned and expanded the course; explicitly states “In 1931 Riverside was redesigned and lengthened by Ross,” that Ross visited several times, lists completed restoration holes (2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 15, 17), outlines restoration philosophy (aerials from the 1930s, grass-faced bunkers, fairway width, tree management), and names architects Ron Prichard (master plan commissioned 2008; adopted 2009) and Keith Cutten (execution from 2022).
Golf Canada — Facility listing for The Riverside Country Club. Confirms par 72 and ~6,590 yards, 18 holes, private.
SCOREGolf — “Course Flyover: Riverside Country Club.” Notes current course designed by Donald Ross in the early 1930s, hillside/falling green sites, and restoration contributions by Ron Prichard with Keith Cutten/WAC now consulting; reiterates 1939 Canadian Open as only Open in Atlantic Canada.
Club “Stories” pages — “Origins of Riverside, Your Club and Its History.” Extracted from the 1949 Canadian Amateur program; includes contemporary commentary about 1939 Canadian Open difficulty at Riverside.
Canadian Golfer (Sept. 1939). Period article reporting the Canadian Open at Riverside (Saint John, N.B.) and Jug McSpaden’s victory; confirms the event’s Atlantic Canada novelty.
Wikipedia — Canadian Open (golf) page (cross-checked against period sources). Identifies 1939 venue as Riverside Country Club (Rothesay, N.B.) and winner Harold “Jug” McSpaden; notes this was the only Open staged in Atlantic Canada.
Golf Canada — 2025 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship hub and media releases. Confirms Riverside as host (July 22–25, 2025).
Top100GolfCourses — Riverside (New Brunswick). Background on the club’s 1897 origins, East Riverside move (1911), nine holes in play by 1913, and late-1930s remodeling by Walter B. Hatch with Ross “said to have paid several visits.” (Secondary source; included to reflect the Hatch claim.)